Volume Four Chapter Nine

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Yang Xiao Long lifts up her head, arms as the ready for a fight. Taiyang Xiao Long takes a swing at her with his left hand, but she easily blocks it with her robotic wrist, pushing his hand away from her. The interplay repeats with his right and her left, only this time Yang uses the momentum to turn and come back at her father with a roundhouse kick. Taiyang bends backwards to dodge it, his legs in a lunge. He gives his daughter a solid punch, pushing her back a few feet.

Nearby, Zwei watches the two spar, panting happily. Beside him is a low stool with two white towels. His head changes angles, oscillating to the sounds of grunts and contact. Abruptly he holds his head straight and makes a noise of surprise.

Taiyang stands alone and moves forward, doing his own roundhouse kick. Yang joins both hands atop each other to block Tai's landing foot. With a loud cry, she pushes it up and back. Taiyang regains his footing in a flip while Yang waits for his landing. Using her robotic arm, she knocks him back with a single hit.

Holding onto his right bicep, Tai slides through the dirt, his feet flat on the ground until he comes to a stop.

"Whoa, that thing packs a punch!" Tai jokes.

"We've been at this for weeks. I get it, you wanna make sure I can still fight." Yang bumps her own fists. "I think I'm doing just fine."

Taiyang shrugs. "You're close." He stands upright, no longer nursing his arm. Walking around his daughter in a circle, he assesses her progress.

"Oh, really?"

"You're still off balance."

Yang turns to him. "What?! No I'm not!" Taiyang chuckles. "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised." She lifts her robotic arm, looking down at it with a smile. "I thought it would be just this huge weight, but it feels... natural. They did a great job with this thing."

Taiyang comes in from offscreen, delivering a left hook right into her face. Yang's upper body rears back both from impact and surprise. She's ready to block his right hook, however, and uses the turning momentum to deliver an elbow jab. Grinning the entire time, Tai blocks it and then dodges all the kicks she follows through with. Yang switches to punches, but Tai is too on point for her. While she uses her left hand to block an elbow thrust, Tai has grasped her robotic arm and pulled it forward. The position puts Yang in the position of having her balance rely on the weight of one leg.

"I wasn't talking about your actual balance." He sweeps her forward leg, sending her onto the ground on her back. He leaves her there and walks over to Zwei, who happily gets the top towel for him. "Although, that could use some work too."

Taiyang takes the towel and give Zwei a rub on the top of his head. Zwei hums happily. Arms spread on the ground, Yang takes a breath before speaking.

"Meaning?"

Taiyang speaks; toweling off his sweat. "I saw your tournament fights. During the Vytal Festival."

"Let me guess. (in mocking accent) "I was sloppy.""

"No, no, you were predictable. And... stubborn. And... maybe a little boneheaded." Yang sits up and spins to stare at her father. "Do you realize that you used your Semblance to win every fight after the qualifiers?"

Yang spins to have her back to him. "So what? How is me using my Semblance any different than someone else using theirs?"

Tossing the towel on the ground, Taiyang moves toward Yang.

"Because not everyone else's is basically a temper tantrum. (laughing and crouching by her side) I'm serious! Once you take damage, you can dish it back twice as hard, but that doesn't make you invincible! It's great when you're in a bind, but what happens if you miss? What happens if they're stronger? What then? Now you're just weak and tired! You've always been one to burn brighter than everyone else, whether it was with your smile, or, well, I remember your first haircut." He playfully tugs the hair on the back of her head. Smiling, Yang bats him away. He chuckles and gets up, walking away a few paces with Zwei just behind him. "But you gotta keep your emotions in check. Keep a level head, and think before you act. Your Semblance is a great fallback, but you can't let yourself rely on it. It won't always save you."

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